The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-04
THE IRON ROOM.
BY MINNIE DOUGLAS.

such pleasant, easy-gOing love-naking,
while all the tubs at the boathouse
bloomed with calecolarias and the
water rippled gently by. Now turnin
a punt, or brisk skull to some sheltered
spot where the tall rushes or the fair
water lilies made an enchanting palace;
she in delicate frocks of zephyr" pink
or blue, he in hannels, his handsome
face glowing with exercise and bliss.
Yes, this was all easy and delightful, if
it could only have lasted.
Directly the large country house be-
gan to lose its guests, the hostess, Mrs.
Hope, had time to look about her, and
one of the first inconvenient things she
saw was the very evident love affair
between handsome Jack Talbot, who
had nothing in the world but his
! captains pay, and her only daughter
! Lillian, whose first duty to her parents.
! lay in making an eligible match. This
would never do. But the worldly wise
woman reflected that Captain Talbot's
visit was only to last three days longer,
and with true art appeared blissfully
content with the position.
The night before he went away the
sutton applied to Mr.. Hope, and begged
to have his prayer favorably answered;
and he (haVing received his brief from
his wife) temporized gently; spoke of
| youth, chaDgeable affections and so on,
and said he could not at present give
, definite answer.
May 1 hopper" asked the sutton.
IF you like" said the father; and
nothing could have ended better. Lillian
waved damp handkerchief from the
window, and the handsome knight rode
away.
A month later Jack was ordered to
Egypt, and Mrs. Hope thought it highly
probable that all her difficulties would
be removed by the Egyptians. Tf not,
time was gained at any rate, and
Lillian was growing handsomer every
day.
My dear" said Mr.. Hope, one even
ing Lord Blackmoor Is evidently
struck with Lillian
so l see" responded Lis wife, COM
placently.
I shouldn't be surprised if he smoke
shortly"
so much the better"
But ali, how about the other fell
loo p queried Mr.. Hope, uneasily.
Nothing about him." said Mrs.
mentioned"
Lord B!ackmoor is very old"
He will make the better husband"
Lillian is a beautiful, Warm-hearted
grill" faltered the father.
Had she not been beautiful q coro-
net would not be offered her."
But, Harriet. you and | were both
young when we married"
Mrs. Hope calmly fixed her fine eyes
on the ceiling, and her husband saw
sentiment would find no response.
And so, while Jack was bronzing his
handsome face and fighting for his
country in Egypt, his Lillian was desired
to receive the addresses of an elaborate
old fop of 70, and she was only IS. But
these things happen, so we must con-
template them.
1t would be useless to describe how
the net was woven round the victim,
how she was watched and guarded as
they travelled through their autumn
tour. Between her mother and Lord
BIackmoor it was arranged that the
We dding should take place at Christ
mas, and in the meantime a rumor
came that Captain Talbot was killed.
The Hopes return home took place
the end of November, and the old
bridegroom elect was to come there in
December. He arrived and, to the
girl, seemed more distasteful than ever.
He followed her about with an atfecta-
ton of youthful ardor which sorely
warred with his govt and dyspepsia.
Mamma, said the frenzied Lillian,
'if you do not keep him away from me
now, I'll say No at the altar"
Fearing this was true, Mrs. Hope re-
joiced in an attack of govt, which con
lined the DID, nobleman to his room,
where she treated him with fattery and
devotion.
So then the poor girl wandered down
to the boathouse. It was half a mile
from the house, and there was
roughly furnished fron room there,
where tea things and spirit lamps were
kept. Lillian had often made tea here
in the happy summer, and now she en-
tered the room, which struck damp
and cold from disuse, and, throwing
herself in chair, sobbed as if her heart
would break.
The floods were up and the river
looked like stormy lead. Little islands
visible in summer now lay buried I'M
der rushing waters. No flowers, no
sunshine-all like her own life, blank,
dark despair.
A footstep outside made Lillian start
up quickly. 1t was the postman, on his |
way to the house.
Have you any letters for me?' she
asked.
Yes, miss, surely" said the man, |
and he handed three to her and passed |
on.
Lillian re-eutered the iron room, sank
on the sofa, and with trembling hands
tore open one-it was from Jack! As
she read it she found that other IL tiers
had been sent to her-who had had
them? Jack, who was in London, where
he was fast recovering from his wounds,
had determined to come down and hear
from her own lips that she gave him up.
And he concluded by saying that he
would be at the boathouse by o'clock
the next evenlng-would she meet him
there7
The next" evening meant this even
ing; this evening that ever was, for the
letter had been written the day before.
Lilian's delight at this unexpected
news was paramount. She hurried
back to the house, determined that
NOTHING ShOuId reveal the pbanop